Artists Writers & Artisans (AWA) and Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment (Weapons, It, Barbarian) teamed up to the release the latest nightmare-fueled in The Future of Fear collection – “The Rising”. This chilling, oversized one-shot from acclaimed screenwriter, director, and producer Gregory Widen (Highlander, The Prophecy, and Backdraft) and renowned artist Laci (Death Ratio’d, Sherlock Holmes) will be available in stores and online on this September.
In a dying military town deep in the Badlands, “The Rising” follows the closure of a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile base that marks the end of an era for Ray and his daughter, Atty. As the military base shutters and the town winds down, something beneath the facility begins to stir. While Ray detects strange glitches appearing in the decommissioned system, Atty uncovers impossible signs of movement among six coma patients tied to a decades-old mysterious accident, upending their plans to leave town. As the base begins to reactivate in ways that defy explanation, they realize something far more sinister is emerging beneath the surface, leaving the fate of the planet on the line.
The 72-page title merges a fractured small-town reality with large-scale existential horror, brought to life by Laci’s chilling illustrations that envelop readers in a world that feels alien but strikingly familiar. Following the debut of Look Out and Kill or Be Killed, “The Rising” continues The Future of Fear anthology, a cross-platform horror initiative from AWA and Vertigo Entertainment designed to launch the next generation of horror franchises across comics, illustrated storytelling, film, and television. As each title expands the collection with bold new nightmares from acclaimed creators, the Eisner-winning publisher and horror juggernaut are developing the stories for the screen, creating a unified pipeline for horror fans to discover terrifying new worlds across multiple mediums.
AWA’s “The Rising” is written and created by Gregory Widen with artwork by Laci; cover by Tim Bradstreet (Look Out, The Punisher), colored by Miroslav Mrva (Marjorie Finnegan, Daredevil); and lettered by AndWorld Design (Beast Mode 510, Batman). “The Rising” will be available digitally and in stores nationwide wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Additional titles in The Future of Fear collection will be revealed at a later date.
For more information on “The Rising”, The Future of Fear collection, and other projects, follow AWA Studios on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and visit AWAStudios.com.